Sustainability & Green Living

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Homeowners weighing a heating system upgrade are being pointed underground, as geothermal heat pumps promise lower long-term costs despite steeper installation prices. A new short study by consulting firm Prognos, commissioned by the Bundesverband Geothermie, the Erdwärmegemeinschaft Bayern, and the Bundesverband Wärmepumpe (BWP), finds that ground-source systems can undercut air-source heat pumps by roughly 8 percent in total annual costs over a 20-year period.

Ground temperatures stay near 10 degrees Celsius year-round

In Central Europe, subsurface temperatures remain relatively constant at around 10 degrees Celsius throughout the year. This narrow gap between the heat source and the heating system keeps operating conditions favorable even in winter, translating into consistently lower running costs.

Hangzhou – September 10, 2026 -- Hoymiles has launched a 22 kW DC V2X charger designed to plug into its HiOne All-in-One battery energy storage system, letting homeowners link solar panels, home batteries, electric vehicles and the grid into a single controllable energy setup.

The charger turns parked EVs into backup power sources

The V2X charger supports bidirectional charging, meaning a connected EV can supply power back into the house through Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) mode during outages. It also enables Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) participation, letting households shave peak demand and take part in virtual power plant programs. An integrated EU MID-certified meter tracks electricity flow for accurate monitoring.

Munich – September 12, 2026 -- The ADAC is adding plug-in balcony solar systems to its product lineup through a new partnership with kleines kraftwerk, a solar company based in Achim, Lower Saxony. ADAC members now receive a price discount of at least ten percent on the complete solar kits, which are designed for balconies, terraces, garages, and carports.

The offering targets households that want to generate their own solar power but cannot or do not want to install a traditional rooftop photovoltaic system.

Lagos, Nigeria – September 12, 2026 -- EcoFlow has launched two new portable power stations in Nigeria, the DELTA 3 Classic and DELTA 3 Max, aimed at households and small businesses dealing with frequent grid outages and rising fuel costs for backup generators.

The DELTA 3 Classic offers 1800W of power for everyday appliances

The DELTA 3 Classic packs a 1024Wh battery and delivers 1800W of rated output, with a 3600W surge capacity, enough to run refrigerators, fans, televisions, laptops and induction cookers simultaneously. Its X-Boost technology allows it to support devices up to 2400W without requiring a larger unit, and a built-in 10 ms UPS provides uninterrupted power protection.

Seattle – September 11, 2026 -- REI Co-op is donating $1 million to organizations that maintain America's National Scenic and Historic Trails, and shoppers get a say in how some of the money is spent.

Members and customers can vote online or in stores through October 2

From September 8 to October 2, REI members, customers and employees can vote in stores or online to help direct a portion of the funding to eligible nonprofit trail organizations. The donation, tied to National Public Lands Day on September 26, supports groups caring for more than 60,600 miles of trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail.

Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Zendure's SolarFlow 4000 Mix Pro home battery system took home the Gold Award in the Sustainable Home Energy Storage System category at the Global Product Technology Innovation Awards 2026, presented during IFA 2026 in Berlin. The company also won the Smart Energy Solutions Brand Award, recognizing its broader approach to home energy management.

The SolarFlow 4000 Mix Pro scales from 8 kWh to 150 kWh per setup

The device is a 4-kW bidirectional AC all-in-one plug-in storage system that uses AI to combine home-storage-level capacity and power in a plug-in format. A single unit scales from 8 kWh to 50 kWh, and pairing it with Zendure's PowerHub pushes total capacity up to 150 kWh. It accepts up to 13 kW of combined solar input, making it suited for larger households, heat pumps, and electric vehicle charging.

Monterey – September 11, 2026 -- Monterey Bay Aquarium opens a new bilingual exhibition, "Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar," to the public on Saturday, November 7. The exhibit is designed primarily for children ages 2 to 6, though it is open to visitors of all ages, and uses movement and role-play to build empathy for marine animals.

The exhibit features an expanded African penguin habitat as its centerpiece

Visitors can watch penguins dive, swim, preen, waddle, and rest on a rocky beach in the newly enlarged habitat. Nearby digital interactives project silhouettes of penguins in motion, inviting children to waddle, flap, and shake their tails. The Aquarium notes that African penguins are a critically endangered species affected by climate change and overfishing.

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- TCL Industries and TCL Technology are showcasing a new lineup of solar panels, home batteries and heat pumps at IFA 2026, aiming to link industrial-scale renewable energy production with smart home systems for everyday consumers.

The companies are presenting their joint exhibition, called "Inspiration Habitat," at Messe Berlin's Hall 21A from September 4 to 8, 2026. The immersive space lets visitors interact directly with products spanning connected devices, displays and clean energy technology.

New solar hardware targets residential rooftops

On display are SunPower Origin back-contact solar panels, TCL T5 Pro TOPCon shingled-cell modules, and C2 back-contact panels, alongside battery storage systems and heat pumps built for home use. These come from SunPower Home Energy and TCL Smart Home, two divisions under the TCL umbrella.

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- Germany's nature conservation groups NABU and its Bavarian partner LBV have opened public voting to choose the country's Bird of the Year for 2027, with anyone able to cast a ballot online at vogeldesjahres.de through October 15 at 11 a.m., when the winner will be announced the same day.

Five candidates are competing to succeed the grey partridge, the current title-holder. NABU bird protection expert Martin Ruemmler said the candidates show the diversity of the country's bird life, noting that some migrate as far as Africa each winter while others stay put year-round, and that each finalist highlights a conservation issue deserving attention.

Five finalists each carry a distinct conservation message

The common raven, campaigning under the slogan "Black feathers, bright mind," is the world's largest songbird and mates for life, but faces threats from shootings and poisonings by people who dislike it.

Hangzhou – September 10, 2026 -- Hoymiles has launched its V2X DC Charger, a device that lets electric vehicles feed power back into a home's energy system, marking the newest addition to the company's residential energy ecosystem alongside its HiOne All-in-One battery storage system.

The charger turns parked EVs into backup generators

Through bidirectional charging, the V2X unit supports Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) mode, supplying emergency power to a household when the grid goes down. Its Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) function allows homeowners to participate in peak-load reduction programs and virtual power plant schemes. The device includes an EU MID-certified meter for accurate energy tracking.